The Insiders

Callie, Nico, Ted and Zara are really close friends. Ted lives next door to Callie whose mum looks after him and the others after school. However, since an embarrassing incident at school, Ted has become quieter than ever, withdrawing from the group. When they notice a light on in school after hours, Callie, Nico and Zara decide to investigate. Watching from his garden, Ted can’t believe his friends have not included him…

Cath Howe is an outstanding author whose books are so easy to read whilst sensitively exploring the feelings and worries of her characters. Each of her books to date has been a brilliant read and ‘The Insiders’ is no exception.

The story is told from the viewpoint of Callie, Ted and one of their classmates, Billy, who was responsible for Ted’s embarrassment. Through their eyes, the reader sees how easily things can be misinterpreted or misunderstood and the dangers of bottling feelings up and keeping them inside. There are many points in the story where an apology, persisting with a friend when they need support or seeking help might have helped things turn out differently.

For a teacher, there are some very uncomfortable moments in this story. The bullying Mr Dunlop is of a breed I had hoped had died out and surely someone in school should have picked up that something was not quite right with Billy’s situation, but this in itself raises much to discuss and explore.

The story also reminds the reader that you never really know what is going on in someone else’s life. With a class, there are many opportunities for role play and hot-seating activities, allowing children to explore different perspectives and consider how different characters were feeling, why they acted as they did and so on. This could be further explored through writing poems capturing those emotions or perhaps paintings to express their feelings.

Another not-to-be-missed gem from Cath Howe!

The Insiders Cath Howe

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1788006125

Out 5th May 2022